Band Of The Month...

June

Some albums are just special. They surprise you, they wake you up, they open your eyes. The latest release by Pellek did all of those things and more. Try as you might to find something wrong, it is nearly impossible. Soaring melodies, virtuosic instrumentals, and a lyrical journey that is incredibly detailed and rich, "Ocean Of Opportunity" is a winner.Ocean Of Opportunity (Review)Official Site FacebookMay

Sometimes you just need something a little different. We've seen classical influences scattered throughout the metal landscape, be it violin, horns, various strings. We've even seen the cello used as a main focus. But what Hvile I Kaos does, what they do better than anyone, is make classical sound like black metal, and black metal sound sublime.Hvile I Kaos EP (Review)BandcampFacebook April

Much like Baroness, one of the most bruising bands of this generation took a left hand turn off the highway, and went down a smokey, hazy side street. Intronaut haven't thrown away their musical chops or their aggression, merely harnessed it and used it for some of the most inspired work they've produced to date. With a title nearly as long as the record itself, "Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)" is evolution.Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones) (Review)Official SiteFacebook March

You can never write off a band based on their previous works. Sure, Omnium Gatherum have been dishing out crushing death blows year after year, album after album. But to take the next step and gain the worldwide recognition they so greatly deserved, they needed to take a giant leap, and get ahead of their contemporaries. "Beyond" is that leap, and stands as a monument to melodic death excellence.Beyond (Review)Official SiteFacebookFebruary

With thoughts of love in our minds this month, and the red color permeating anything and everything we dom, it only makes sense for our current band of the month of embody both. With an angelic frontwoman and an album covering dripping in red highlights, Elferya did everything imaginable to create the best album of the year. Soaring vocals, dazzling use of keyboards and strings, and drumming that could leave you dizzy with its speed and precision, "The Straight And Narrow" might have already locked up a spot as one of the best female fronted album in a very long time.

It feels like we've been here before. After the 2011 release of his last album, Pennsylvania native and one man band extraordinaire Dan Klyne stole our attention, and our October 2011 Band Of The Month "honor." With the release of his new album, "Ghosts Of The Mountains," on the horizon, it made perfect sense to go back to where this all started. But once we heard the album, we new the game had changed. Klyne has grown in leaps and bounds throughout his career, and never more evident than now. His new album, all nine tracks of it, are deserving of awards that are well outside our pay grade to give.

Appalachian Winter: Still not asking fans to do a Goddamned thing since 2008.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about Bologna's very own Malnatt? They reshaped black metal in my ears, and probably the ears of many others. Their new album, "Principia Discordia," is not only the best black metal album of the year, but one of the best releases of the year, period. Listen once, and you will be hooked.

When it takes you 8 years to put the finishing touches on an album, you had better hope that the final product matches the blood, sweat and tears that went into it. For Wintersun, the eight years between the release of the debut and their latest album was time well spent. The release of "Time I" is as big for the band as it is for the fans, and both sides can be pleased with the result. A perfect blend of hard edged metal and soothing melodies, this album is worth every second gone by.

Sometimes it's easy. Sometimes it isn't. We didn't agree on our band of the month for this month, but we decided to split the honors between two bands who have something in common. Elvenking, after the release of "Red Silent Tides," seemed to be a band on the decline. The same could be said for Ensiferum, as "From Afar" didn't quite hit the mark. But with new albums out across the world now, both bands have reasserted themselves as the kings of their respective sub genres.

There are months where this can be difficult. And there are times when it is easy. For September, it was the latter. When Katatonia was set to release their new album, "Dead End Kings," we weren't totally sure what to expect. They have built a career on constantly evolving, always moving forward. So, when the album came, we got exactly what we needed, but not completely what we expected. Nine studio albums into an illustrious career, and Katatonia is still one of the driving forces in metal.

The Podcast: Episode 57 (You have to be kidding me with this "doomwave" shit)
Our 5 Favorite Metal Albums Of All Time (Podcast)

Katatonia - Dead End Kings (Review)
Katatonia - Night Is The New Day (Review)
Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance (Review)

August

Sometimes a band can release an album that changes the way you think, and feel, about their music. When the new two disc Baroness album, "Yellow & Green," showed up on our doorstep, we thought we new what we were going to hear: crushing riffs, unpolished yells, and some heavy drum beats. Instead, what we got was a mix of folk and rock, featuring delicately played clean guitars and some intoxicating melodies. We listened and reviewed the discs separately. But when we came together to talk it over, it was a sure thing that Baroness had done something amazing. And that lands them this spot as our band of the month.

We do our best to discover new music, the same way you guys do. You poke around online, check out what friends say on Facebook, or just do a random Google search. So, when Justin stumbled on the band Fister, a St. Louis based sludge band, in February, we considered ourselves lucky. He reviewed their album, titled "Violence," which started the ball rolling for our love of what they do. With the release of their new EP, "The Infernal Paramount," they locked us in as fans for life. With a style that is as raw as you could want, but as well conceived as you could hope, Fister is a band to be reckoned with.

When an album emerges as a strong "album of the year" contender for both of us, it is impossible to not go ape shit crazy over it. As fans of his work on Metalocalypse, as well as Home Movies, any project from Brendon Small was sure to peak our interest. Alongside a supporting cast of Bryan Beller on bass and Gene "The Machine" Hoglan, Small has given the world something different from his usual output. On Brendon Small's Galaktikon, you get a heavy dose of melody to help wash down the shredding guitars. You might be willing to do anything for Dethklok, but after hearing this album, you might forget those rascally goof balls for a few minutes.

It is safe to say that every band does their best to write the perfect track, the perfect album, or live out the perfect career. It would also be safe to say that few every do any of those things. So, for the month of April, we decided to honor a band that not only seems to have the talent to do it, but may have actually achieved it with their latest album. Diabulus In Musica have taken the symphonic metal genre to new heights, with the addition of even more classical inspiration, more layers of astonishing vocals, and a healthy dose of savage brutality. "The Wanderer" was enough to earn a perfect score from us, and a slot as our Band Of The Month.

You would be hard pressed to find a band that embodies the folk metal genre better than Switzerland's Eluveitie. They manage to give you something to bang your head to, while also giving you cause to get up and dance.With a new album in stores now, the masters of the hurdy gurdy have returned better than ever. With St. Patrick's Day on the way, it would be damn impossible not to give this outfit serious applause, and name them our March "Band Of The Month."

It was September 8, 2007 when Darrell (Hell22) was first exposed to the crushing riffs and devastating vocals of Finland's Swallow The Sun. In an opening slot for Katatonia, this six piece turned a crowd into fans in mere seconds. Since that night, and their subsequent album releases, we here at Sorrow Eternal are certified fanatics. Justin prefers the original opus, "The Morning Never Came," while Darrell is permanently stuck on "Hope." Each has something that makes it the best effort.

But this year, on February 1, they released their latest work, a stunning new album with a renewed focus on melody and contrast. Through the course of ten tracks and over and hour of riffs, rage and raucous drums, Swallow The Sun reminds everyone why they are the preeminent death/doom band in the world. We may not have agreed on our favorite album before, but we both agree now. It is "Emerald Forest And The Blackbird."

When Murmaider discovered Alcest some 6 months ago, I don't think either of us could have known how much of a strangle hold they would take on our listening time. Their last album, 2010's "Ecailles de Lune," is the go-to album for everyone in the office. With a catalog of two full length albums, as well as the recently re-worked "Le Secret" EP, French mastermind Neige is as powerful a force as we have found in the shoe-gaze metal subgenre.

So, with a new album just days away (January 6th in parts of Europe), "Les Voyages de L'âme," we couldn't resist the urge to give this band our ultimate honor, as lowly as it may be. The first "Band Of The Month" for the year 2012 is Alcest.

Murmaider and Hell22 are not shy about their love for Nightwish. During their early days exploring metal together, their workplace was filled with the tickling keys and soothing vocals of "Dark Passion Play." After 4 months of subjecting their coworkers to it, everyone was on board.

After a four year absence, the Finnish symphony is back with a new album, but a familiar identity. "Imaginaerum" is everything you could want from Nightwish, picking up where the previous adventure left off. Singer Annette Olzen has come into her own here, and we are impressed with this new outing. It seems only fitting that we honor them with our final Band Of The Month of 2011.

One of our many phrases to live by goes something like "Show up to see the opening bands. You never know what you'll see." Such was the case for Junius, during the stint opening for Alcest and Enslaved. After a set that was, in a word, stunning, we delved deep into their work, and found a treasure chest of musical doubloons. Their new album, "Reports From The Threshold Of Death," has worked its way into heavy rotation, making this Boston four piece the perfect choice for this month.

Not just any band can hijack our "Band Of The Month." After doing a review of their self titled album, Murmaider has done his best to spread the gospel of Appalachian Winter. A one man project from Pennsylvania native Daniel Klyne, this is a band that combines all of the elements of black, progressive and symphonic metal, with a little folk to boot. And every note of his music is available for the mind numbing price of FREE. I can't think of one good reason not to download these albums, and spin them repeatedly. You owe it to yourself.

Appalachian Winter: Not asking fans to do a Goddamned thing since 2008.

The pride and joy of Atlanta has returned. Mastodon is set to release their fifth full length studio album, titled "The Hunter," this month, and it is about time we show our excitement. You all know that Murmaider is a Mastodon junkie. We ran a streak of mentioning Mastodon through 16 straight podcasts. So, what better way to show our appreciation of their collective works than to name them our first Sorrow Eternal Band Of The Month.